Man jailed for setting teen alight at his birthday party

By

ninemsn staff

A young man in England who killed an autistic 18-year-old at his birthday party by dousing him in oil and setting him on fire has been sentenced to three-and-a-half years in jail.

Steven Simpson, 18, suffered burns to 60 percent of his body when 20-year-old Jordan Sheard set him alight at a party Mr Simpson threw for himself at his home in Barnsley on June 22 last year, the Daily Mail reports.

He died in hospital two days later.

During Sheard's manslaughter trial, Sheffield Crown Court heard that Mr Simpson, who had autism and a speech impediment, threw an 18th birthday party for himself but when no one came he went out to and returned home with some people to celebrate with.

Mr Simpson was said to have enjoyed himself at the party but was taunted about his alleged homosexuality and called a "gay c—t".

When paramedics arrived at the home where Mr Simpson lived alone, they found homophobic messages scrawled on his body, including the words "gay boy" written on his forehead in pen and "I love dick" scrawled across his chest, the court heard.

Sheard initially denied causing Mr Simpson's death but later confessed to setting the teen's groin on fire after pouring tanning oil on him.

Sheard said he had set Mr Simpson on fire as a prank and claimed he was encouraged to do it by other partygoers.

His lawyer, Andrew Smith described Sheard's actions as a "criminally stupid prank which has gone wrong", adding his client would "never forget" the tragic consequences of his decision.

Judge Roger Keen accepted that the death was accidental and sentenced Sheard to three years and six months in jail.